"God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24).

The Scriptures are emphatically clear that God desires much more from His children than outward ceremonial acts of devotion. This verse penetrates all superficial conformity and zeros in on the heart with laser precision. We can confidently conclude that those whose worship flows from the heart are pleasing to our heavenly Father. In fact, "the Father seeketh such to worship Him" (John 4:23).

If God is looking for true worshippers, shouldn't we be fervently and reverently preparing our hearts for worship? Shouldn't our hearts long for God to be praised that we might proclaim with David, "All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name" (Psalm 66:4)?

God is protective of the worship He receives and deservedly so. Only the Almighty can rightfully demand our wholehearted veneration with perfect holy jealousy, and insist that we must "worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God" (Exodus 34:14). We should respond with humble hearts filled with thanksgiving, eager to "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name" and "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" (Psalm 29:2).

After the disciples witnessed our Lord walk on water and calm the seas, they worshipped Him without any hesitation saying, "Of a truth thou art the Son of God" (Matthew 14:33). This spontaneous heartfelt worship came as a result of simply spending time with Jesus. When we abide in our Savior and diligently seek Him, our hearts will draw irresistibly near to God and we will yearn to cry out with the psalmist, "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand" (Psalm 95:6-7). MDR